Measuring can



April 3, 1928.

R. D. HUGHES MEASURING CAN Filed April 18. 1927 /N VE/VTOI?}POBERTD.HU6//[S M ,4 TTOF? NEY.

Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,664,560 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. HUGHES, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HUFFMAN MANUFACTUR-ING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01' OHIO.

MEASURING CAN.

Application filed April 18, 1927. Serial No. 184,502.

This invention relates to measuring cans and more particularly to thattype of can in which the oil or other liquid is discharged from thebottom through afiexible spout which delivers it to the crank case of anautomobile engine or to some other more or less accessible point ofdelivery.

Measuring cans of this type are extensively employed at automobilefillin stam tions where the measuring can is fil ed at an oil tankwithin the station and then carried to the automobile outside thestation. When the can is filled full there is a tendency of the oil tosplash over the edge, or to lo spill if the can is slightly tilted.

One object of the present invention is to provide a measuring can ofthis type with a guard which will eiiectually prevent the spilling ofthe oil without in any way inter 2o faring with the free visibility ofthe measuring line at the top of the can, to which line the canvmust befilled.

A iurther object of the invention is to provide a simple eflicientoperating mechase nism for the valve which controls the discharge of theliquid from the can; and to provide such a mechanism which will requirethe use of but a single supporting member within the can.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetaiii In the accompanying drawings Fig, 1 is a top plan view out ameasuring can embodying my invention; Fig; 2 is a vertical sectionalview of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the thumb piece, takenon the line 3-3 oi Fig. 2; Figs 4 is a sectional view of the guard,taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 2;

Fig, 5 is a plan view of the guide for the no valve stem, taken on theline 5-5 of Fig, 2; Fig; 8 is a detail view of the guide for theactuating rod; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the actuatingrod,

lln these drawings 1 have i embodiment of my invention but it will beunderstood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for thepurpose of illustration only and that the device may take various formswithout departing from the spirit of the invention:

As here shown, the measuring can comprises a body portion 1, the wallsof which converge upwardly so that the body portion forms in efiect thefrustum oi a cone,

as bottom plate 2 is mounted within the body llustrated one .be mountedas a unit on the side of the can portion of the can and is spaced somedistance above the lower edge of the body portion, that part of the bodyportion beneath the bottom constituting a support for the can. Thebottom 2 of the can has near its forward edge an outlet opening withwhich is connected a discharge spout 3, and the bottom is depressed sothat the liquid will drain from all parts thereof toward the dischargespout. he discharge spout extends downwardly and forwardly from theoutlet 1D the bottom of the can and projects through an opening in thelower portion or skirt of the body of the can. This spout is of aflexible character so that its outer or discharge end may be movedeither into an elevated position, as shown in Fi 2, or into a ositionbelow the level of he bottom 2 o the can so that the li aid willdischarge through the same. This exibility may be secured 1n variousways but, in the present instance, I have formed the spout in part offlexible tubing, as shown at 4. A book she ed catch 5 secured to theupper portion 0 the can serves to retain the spout normally in itselevated position.

Thev discharge opening leading to the spout 3 is controlled by a valve 6whichseats upon the upper surface of the bottom 2 about the openingSecured to the valve 6 is a valve stem Y which extends upwardly from thevalve through a guide 8 secured to thewall of the can, and a sprin 9confined between the valveand the i e holds the valve normally on itsseat. cunt-ed in the can above the bottom thereof is a supportingstructure or bracket 10 on which is pivot-ally mounted a lever 11, oneend of which is pivotally connected with the valve stem 7 and the otherend of which is pivotally connected with the lower end at an actuatingrod 12 which extends to a point above the top of the can and is thereprovided with a thumb piece 13 so arranged that it may be engaged by thethumb of the hand which grasps the handle 14, by means of which the can18 carried. The supportin structure or bracket 10 and the guide 8 Forthe valve stem are preferably of sucha character that they may As hereshown, the bracket comprises an outer portion which fits against theforward wall of the can at a point some distance A. above the -,outletto which it is rigidly secured by soldering or otherwise. Formed no interal with this outer portion of the brac at are two inwardly exti idingarms 15 which preferably converge inwardly and between the inner ends ofwhich the lever 11 is mounted. In the present instance, the lever issecured in position between the two arms of the bracket by a pivot pin16, here shown as a cotter pin, which also serves to connect the innerends of the arms. The guide 8 for the valve stem is mounted in fixedrelation to the arms 15 and .is preferably an integral part of thebracket. This guide is here shown as comprising an inwardly ex tendingli tially horizontal position and having an opening 17 to receive thevalve stem 7. The lateral edges of the guide plate 8 lie adjacent to orextend slightly beyond the corresponding arms 15, and the opening 17 inthe guide plate is here shown as a slot opening through one edge thereofand consequently when the valve stem is in position within this slot theadjacent arm 15 will retain the same therein. In assembling the valveand its 0 erating mechanism the bracket 10, comprising the arms 15 andthe guide plate 8, is rigidly secured to the wall of the can in thedesired position with relation to the outlet. The valve, valve stem andlever 11, are assembled as a unit before being introduced into the can,and that arm 15 of the bracket which is adjacent to the open endof theslot 17 is bent outwardly so that the valve may be placed in position,the spring 9 compressed and the valve stem inserted in the slot, afterwhich the arm 15 is returned to its normal position and the pivot pin isinserted through the two arms and the lever to connect the arms togetherand to pivotally support the lever. The connecting rod 12 is usuallyconnected with the lever after the latter has been mounted in the can,this being done to enable the rod to be inserted through a guide 18extending inwardly from the u per portion of the can. This guide preferaly has a slot extending forwardly from the guide opening, as shown at19, and the rod 12 has its sides recessed, as shown at 20, theserecessed portions being so arranged that when the rod has been depressedto open the valve the recessed portion of the rod will slip forwardlyinto the slot 19 and thus lock the valve in its open position. I

The thumb piece 13 at the upper end of the rod may take various formsbut, in the present instance, it comprises a rod or bar, referably anintegral part of the rod 12, nt into substantially rectangular shape, asshown at 21, this rectangular portion extending rearwardly from the rodand being preferably arranged at a sli ht inclination to facilitate itsengagement iy the thumb. A plate or cover strip 22, of metal or othersuitable material, is then mounted on the or platearranged in asubstanside members of the rectangular portion ofby bending the edges ofthe plate about the i respective side members, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper edge of the body portion 1 of the can constitutes a measuring'line, as shown at 1", that is, the line to which the measure is filled.In the present device, the guide 18 also acts as a meauring line toindicate when the measure is full and to this end the guide 18 is somounted on the body portion of the can that the lower surface thereofwill be in the same plane with the upper edge of the body portion. Thisguide extending inwardly from the wall provides a very easily seenindication of the level of the liquid. Secured'to the upper edge of thebody portion 1 is a guard or rim 23 which extends entirely about the canand is so shaped that it will prevent the oil from splashing or spillingover the up er edge of the can. Preferably this consists of a singleannular rim of metal which is curved outwardly and upwardly, as shown inFigs. 2 and 4, and the upper portion of which is turned inwardly asshown at 24. Th portion 24 extends inwardly only a sho t distance sothat the diameter of the opening at the top of the guard'is materiallygreater than the diameter of the upper end of the can, and the readinglinel, formed by the upper edge of the body portion, is at all timesunobscured and easily seen by the.

operator. Thus the can can be filled and the location of the liquid withrelation to the measuring line easily determined, and when the can isfull it may be carried without danger of spilling the oil;

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a .person skilled in theart.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a measuring can, a body portion having an open upper end.andhaving an outlet near its lower end, and a guard rim extendingoutwardly about the entire circumference of the upper edge of said bodyportion and having its outer portion turned upwardly and inwardly.

2. In a measuring can, an upright body portion having an outlet near itslower end and having its u per end open, the upper edge of said b yportion constituting a measuring line, and an annular ard rim secured tothe upper end of said tion, extendin outwardly and upwardl therefrom andving its upper end extend ing inwardly, the diameter of the opening atthe top of said guard rim being materially dy porgreater than thediameter of the upper end of said body portion.

3. In a measuring can, a body portion hav'- ing a bottom provided withan outlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve tocontrol the flow of liquid through said outlet, a stem for said valve, abracket secured to the wall of said body portion at one side thereof andabove said bottom, and having a part forming a uide for said valve stem,a lever pivotal y mounted on said bracket and connected with said valvestem, and an actuating member connected with said lever and having apart arranged above said body portion.

4. In a measuring can, a body portion having a bottom provided with anoutlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve tocontrol the flow of li uid through said outlet, .a stem for said va ve,a bracket secured to the wall of said body portion above said outlet andhaving an inwardly extending portion, a lever pivotally supported by theinwardly extending portion of said bracket, a guide for said valve stemcarried by said bracket and arranged adjacent to the lower edge of saidinwardly extending portion of said bracket, and an actuating memberconnected with said lever and havlng a part arranged above said bodyportion.

5. In a measuring can, a body portion having a bottom provided with anoutlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve tocontrol the flow of 1i uid through said outlet, astem for said va ve,

' a bracket rigidl secured to the wall of said body portion a ove saidopening and comprising rearwardly convergm ortions and a horizontalportion arrange neath said rearwardly converging portions and having aslot opening through one edge thereof to receive said valve stem, meansfor connecting the rear ends of said converging portions of saidbracket, one tothe other and for pivotally supporting a lever betweenthe same, means for operatively connecting one end of said lever withsaid valve stem above said guide, and an actuating rod pivotallyconnected with the other end of said lever and extending above the topof said body portion.

6. In a measuring can, a bodyportion havingan outlet near its lower endand having its upper end open, a valve to control said outlet, a valveactuating device mounted within said body portion and connected withsaid lever, said valve actuating device comprising a rod extendingbeyond the upper end of said body portion, and a guide for vsaid rodcomprising an apertured plate secured to the upper part of said bodyportion and having an opening to receive said rod, said plate being soarranged with relation to said body portion that one surface thereofconstitutes a measuring line to indicate the quantity of liquid in saidcan.

7. In a measuring can, a body portion having an outlet near its lowerend and havin .its upper end open, a valve to control 'sald outlet, avalve actuating device mounted within said body ortion and connectedwith said valve, sai valve actuating device comprising'a rod extendingbe ond the upper end of said body portion an having its u per and bentlaterally and then upon itsel to form a laterally extending loop, and aplate extending between and secured to the side members of said loo Intestimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

ROBERT D. HUGHES.

